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Lal shak bhaji
লাল শাক ভাজি (lal shak bhaji): red amaranth leaves stir-fried with garlic and dried chilli
Bunches of lal shak, red amaranth with leaves streaked in crimson, are one of the cheapest and most common greens in any Bangladeshi bazar, and almost every lunch table has a bowl of it, cooked quickly with garlic and a dried chilli. The leaves wilt into a soft, slightly earthy tangle and bleed a beautiful magenta juice that turns the rice pink, which children love. It is served with plain rice and dal as the first course of a meal, before any fish or meat, the way Bengali meals traditionally start with something bitter or green. Adding water is unnecessary and the common slip; the leaves release plenty of their own and simply need to cook down uncovered. Chef's tip: wash the leaves well in several changes of water, as amaranth holds a lot of grit near the roots.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz red amaranth (lal shak)tough stems removed, leaves and tender stems chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
- 5 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken in half
- 1 small onionthinly sliced
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- 1 green chilli (optional)slit
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil in a wide pan over a medium heat, add 2 dried red chillies and 5 cloves garlic and fry for 1 minute until the garlic is pale gold.
2 minStep 2: Add 1 small onion and 1 green chilli and fry for 2 minutes until softened.
2 minStep 3: Add 14 oz red amaranth (lal shak) and 1 /2 tsp salt and stir; it will look like a lot, but it shrinks within 2 minutes. Cook uncovered, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 4: Keep cooking until the pan is almost dry and the oil glistens, then serve with rice and dal.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lal shak bhaji take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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